The funding call will select two successful UK-based creative companies, awarding them £35,000 each along with support from the CoStar Screen Lab.
Ulster University’s CoStar Screen Lab has announced a £70,000 funding call for innovative 5G projects for film, TV, gaming and performance industries.
The call is exploring how the advanced wireless tech – with its faster speeds, lower latency, higher capacity and increased reliability – can innovate various aspects of the creative industry.
CoStar will select two successful UK-based creative companies, who will be awarded £35,000 each, along with access to facilities and research expertise based out of the Screen Lab located within Studio Ulster in Belfast.
The CoStar network is funded by the UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental body. It includes five specialist labs across universities in the country, each focusing on different aspects of creative technology research.
The CoStar Screen Lab is a £72m virtual production campus at Belfast Harbour Studios, developed by Ulster University.
The facility includes state-of-the-art LED volumes, motion capture stage, 3D/4D scanning suite and a dedicated private 5G network.
The funding call is a part of CoStar’s Prototypes and Pilots programme, which supports high-impact R&D activity across the UK’s screen industries.
The opportunity invites applicants to develop new or existing projects using advanced wireless networks, including 5G-enabled workflows in virtual production, multi-site collaboration, spatial audio, artificial intelligence and real-time post-production. Applications for the funding call are open until 22 May.
“This call offers creative companies the chance to harness 5G technologies in a cutting-edge R&D environment,” said Prof Frank Lyons, MBE, the co-director of the CoStar Screen Lab.
“From reducing latency in virtual production to exploring sustainable workflows, we’re looking for bold, future-facing ideas that push the boundaries of how content is created and delivered.”
Tech is at the heart of Ireland’s entertainment and media industry, which is forecasted to add €1bn in revenue by 2027.
As the industry grows, so does the tech behind it, with advancements in animation, AI and augmented and virtual reality assisting creatives in bringing their ideas to life.
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